Runabouts are fiberglass outboard and stern drive boats between 16’ and 21’ in length. Popular with entry level boaters and used for general recreation, they are found in both salt and freshwater environments. They are frequently referred to as bowriders. New runabout sales have been slow to recover from the 2008 downturn, but there is a very large pre-owned market for these boats.
Here’s a quick summary:
- There are currently just over 1.3 million runabout boats registered in the U.S., approximately 43% were purchased new or pre-owned during the past 5 years.
- The average runabout is 26 years old and roughly 60,000 of them are being retired from the fleet each year.
- Last year, 93% of all runabouts were purchased pre-owned (7% New).
- Nearly half (48%) of the people that purchased runabouts in 2019 were first-time-boat buyers.
